Electrical attachment for tanks



ELECTRICAL ATTACHMENT FOR TANKS Filed June 26, 1968 N N S! I I, /2-" Z 27 k v F Q ,6 i 25$ INVENTOR.

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United States Patent US. Cl. 174--18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention consists of an electrical support which can be attached to a tank by removing one of the bolts used for securing the segments of the tank together, inserting the support through the bolt hole and securing it in place with a nut so as to seal the tank while providing an access to the tank for electrical cables leading to the electric device within the tank. The electric devices within the tank are disclosed to be anodes for cathodic protection, high low shutoff switches, temperature probes and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention In oil field industry installations, storage tanks are closely associated with the producing wells and often require the installation of electric apparatus either to protect the tank from corrosion, to control the level of the fluids within the tank, or to measure the temperature of the contents of the tank. Conventionally these tanks are constructed in segments which are bolted together with half-inch bolts.

Description of the prior art In installing electrical equipment in these oil field tanks, the practice in the past required that a crude oil storage tank be drained and scrubbed down by means of chemicals sprayed through an inspection plate on the side of the tank and by removal of the plate at the top of the tank. After the tank had been drained, scrubbed down and flushed out with chemicals and salt water, the tank was allowed to air out for approximately three days; then the tank was checked to determine whether the fume level inside the tank was safe. If determined to be safe, a hole was cut into the tank for each piece of equipment, usually four, by means of a spark-proof hammer and chisel made of brass. After the hole was cut into the tank for each piece of equipment, then it became necessary to tap a hole into the tank for bolting down the hanger and flange.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention consists of a support for electrical attachments to tanks with the support being adapted to be inserted through an existing bolt hole in the tank in place of the existing bolt so that cutting on the tank in order to mount electrical attachment supports is unnecessary.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a support for electrical attachments for tanks which can be inserted through an existing bolt hole in place of the existing bolt.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, simple to use, and which can be attached to the tank with conventional hand tools.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a side view of the invention shown attached in operative position to a tank shown partially Patented July 8, 1969 broken away and in section for convenience of illustration;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows, parts broken away for convenience of illustration;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal section taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a support for an electrical attachment for tanks constructed in accordance with the invention.

The support 10 includes a cylindrical member 11 having a pair of integrally formed, oppositely disposed upstanding arms 12, 13 arranged in spaced parallel relation. The upper ends of the arms 12, 13 are flattened and are provided with bores 14, 15 to receive a horizontal shaft 16 extending therethrough and secured therein by cotter keys 17. A grooved insulating wheel 18 is mounted for rotation on the shaft 16 for reasons to be assigned.

A cylindrical body 19 is positioned within the cylindrical member 11 and is secured therein by a plurality of cap screws 20. The body 19 has a downwardly extending reduced diameter outwardly threaded extension 21 integrally fogmed on the lower end thereof. A small diameter bore 22 extends downwardly through the lower portion of the body 19 and through the extension 21 axial to the body 19. A somewhat larger internally threaded bore 23 opens through the top surface of the body 19 and is axial to the body 19 intersecting the bore 22 at the inner end of each. A threaded fitting 24 is mounted in the threaded bore 23 and has a central bore 25 corresponding in diameter to the bore 22. The upper end of the fitting 24 has a conical opening 26 extending into the fittings 24 and intersecting the bore 25. A conical flexible seal 27 is seated in the conical opening 26 and is adapted to be forced therein by a threaded cap nut 28, all as can be seen in FIGURE 2.

A wire 29 is adapted to extend downwardly through the seal 27, fitting 24, body 19 and extension 21 and to be sealed against vapor pressure by binding of the cap nut 28 against the seal 27. A metal washer 30 is positioned around the extension 21 against the lower end of the body 19 and has a sealing washer 31 in underlying arrangement thereto. A nut 32 engages over the threaded extension 21 and is arranged to secure the support 10 in position on the tank.

The tank generally indicated at 33 with which the invention is associated includes an upstanding side wall 34 and a plurality of roof segments 35 secured thereto by bolts 36 and to each other by bolts B.

In the use and operation of the invention, one of the bolts B is removed leaving a bolt hole through the top of the tank 33. With the sealing washer 31 and washer 30 in place around the extension '21, the extension 21 is inserted through the bolt hole left by removal of a bolt B as mentioned above. The not 32 is threaded over the lower end of the wire 29 and is threaded onto the extension 21 to simultaneously secure the support 10 to the tank 33 and to secure the segments 35 together in the same manner as the original bolt B secured the segments 35 together. v

The upper end of the wire 29 is wrapped around the insulator 18 and tied to secure the wire 29 in its position of use. The wire 29 then extends to a source of electric energy (not shown). When the support 10 is used as part of a cathode protection system, an anode A is inserted through the manhole 37 by removing the cover 38 and is electrically secured to the wire 29 as well as being suspended thereon. The anode A is positioned in slightly spaced relation above the bottom of the tank 3 3 within the fluid 39 therein.

It should be understood that other electric devices such as level indicators, temperature gages, and the like may be substituted for the anode when such devices are required.

I claim: 1. A support for electrical attachment for tanks adapted for mounting through an existing bolt hole in the tank comprising a generally cylindrical body a reduced diameter externally threaded extension integrally depending from the lower end of said body and adapted to be inserted through an existing bolt hole in the tank, said body and said extension having an axial bore extending therethrough of a diameter to snugly receive an electric cable, said body having an internally threaded bore extending inwardly from the upper end thereof of a diameter greater than said axial bore and communicating with said axial bore, means engaging in said threaded bore for sealing said electric cable to said body, means engaging over said extension for sealing and securing said support to a tank, an insulator arranged in overlying relation to said body, and means secured to said body for supporting said insulator in a position supporting said electric cable passing through said axial bore, and

an electric attachment supported on and electrically connected to said electric cable.

2. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means engaging in said threaded bore for sealing said electric cable to said body includes a fitting threaded into said bore, said fitting having a conical opening in the upper end thereof and a bore extending axially through said fitting communicating with the inner end of said conical opening, a soft conically shaped seal engaging in said conical opening and having an electric cable passage extending therethrough, and a cap nut engaging over said fitting and arranged to compress said conical seal into said conical opening into sealing engagement with the electric cable.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2 wherein the means for supporting said insulator comprises a hollow cylindrical member encompassing said cylindrical body and detachably secured thereto, a pair of upstanding arms integrally formed on said member and arranged at their upper ends in spaced parallel relation, a shaft having its opposite end supported in said arms with its axis perpendicular to the axis of said body, said insulator having an annular electric cable receiving groove formed therein with said insulator being supported on said shaft.

4. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for supporting said insulator comprises a hollow cylindrical member encompassing said cylindrical body and detachably secured thereto, a pair of upstanding arms integrally formed on said member and arranged at their upper ends in spaced parallel relation, a shaft having its opposite end supported in said arms with its axis perpendicular to the axis of said body, said insulator having an annular electric cable receiving groove formed therein with said insulator being supported on said shaft.

5. The invention as set forth in claim 1 wherein means engaging over said extension for sealing and securing said support to a tank comprises a metal backing washer, a resilient sealing washer engaging against said backing washer in encompassing relation to said extension, said sealing washer being adapted to engage the upper surface of a tank in sealing relation thereto with said extension projecting through an existing bolt hole therein, and a nut threaded onto said extension and engaging the inner face of said tank to secure said support to said tank.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 194,666 8/1877 Field 204-196 3,110,659 11/1963 Bender l7418 X 3,135,677 6/ 1964 Fischer 204-196 OTHER REFERENCES Dutton et 211., German printed application No. 1,181,- 335, published Nov. 12, 1964.

LARAMIE E. ASKIN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. l74-65; 204196 

